[LAAMN] Terrorism and destabilization in Venezuela, all you can eat…
http://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/04/terrorism-and-destabilization-in-venezuela-all-you-can-eat.html Terrorism and destabilization in Venezuela, all you can eat http://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/04/terrorism-and-destabilization-in-venezuela-all-you-can-eat.htmlApril 10, 2013 Sabina Becker *Video:* *http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embeddedv=89n1nJW8i2Y*http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embeddedv=89n1nJW8i2Y Venezuelan justice minister Néstor Reverol plays back audio of some highly incriminating phone calls between members of the Salvadoran terror cell that attempted to disrupt next Sundays presidential election. Heres the story: http://www.aporrea.org/tiburon/n226542.html *Capriles has managed to find safe places, for our people the team is already there, they tell me, and theyre working in groups to disorient the vote.* * This can be heard clearly in a telephone call between an ex-colonel from the Salvadoran Armed Forces (FAES), David Koch Arana, who is currently in Venezuela, ad the director of the right-wing Salvadoran ARENA party, Roberto DAubuisson, which took place between March 23 and 25 of this year. The videos of the interference and the links between these Salvadoran mercenaries and the right-wing candidate Capriles Radonski, were presented by Minister Néstor Reverol, who played back both conversations. On March 23, both Salvadoran agents confirmed that they had seen the reports on Capriles Radoski, whom they secretly identify as C, and two days later, they conversed at length in a phone call which implied immediate danger for the stability of Venezuela, which went as follows: Did you tell them that theyd be making like were working in the campaigns here? Be careful, remember they already offered their support if they win, and that would be good for us, says DAubuisson. Koch Arana warns DAubuisson that the Venezuelan government already has information of the presence of these groups, so they have to be careful. Theyve started a hunt and supposedly theyll inform the State that there are foreigners interfering in their political affairs, says the Salvadoran ex-colonel. The right-wing politician, DAubuisson, calms him down, saying that Capriles already has safe houses for them, but warns that its necessary to co-ordinate both groups because they are apparently unknown in Venezuela. I dont know how the groups they sent are operating here, but I hope they dont clash or have a conflict, since they dont know each other. Ill talk to them to see how theyre organizing, so theyre identified, says DAubuisson. Minister Reverol also showed the photo of another mercenary, identified as Julio Alberto Cornejo Quintanilla, who, according to intelligence reports, is already in Venezuela and is tasked with co-ordinating both shock groups. * *Reverol assured that the Venezuelan government will not let mercenary groups destabilize the country and the April 14 elections. He confirmed that the security forces of the state are on the trail of the mercenaries and will execute raids and all necessary measures to prevent the plans of the destabilizing groups from coming to fruition.* Translation mine. Lets hope DAubuisson and Koch Arana are wetting their pants accordingly; the Venezuelan authorities are now on their tails. I hope they get the raids on camera for VTV, too. And lets hope they and Majunche are also wetting their pants over this incriminating info-dumphttp://ensartaos.com.ve/noticia/vean-los-terribles-documentos-de-javu-que-se-encontraron-en-merida about their little buddies in the bogus opposition student group, JAVU: *Operation Sovereignty* * Plan of Action and Resistance of the United Active Youth of Venezuela (JAVU) for April 14, 2013 Introduction: Were just a few days away from a presidential election which from the start has been one of the most unjust and unequal of all time, while the Cuban government tightens its control on our nation by way of its principal puppet, the usurper Nicolás Maduro. We call on all Venezuelans to overcome fear. We have demonstrated that when we demand with firmness and force, we achieve our objectives. Giving up will never be an option. They will have to roll right over us if they think they can violate the constitution and abuse and take advantage of us without consequence, because: 1. No Venezuelan could be in agreement with such an embarrassment of a Defense Minister who bows down before the Brothers Castro and makes partisans of our Armed Forces. 2. No Venezuelan could be in agreement with a criminal Electoral Council, accomplice of opportunism and the principal party responsible for robbing Venezuelans of a free and fair electoral process. 3. No Venezuelan could be in agreement with a Supreme Tribunal of Justice which violates the Constitution, criminalizes protests, and legitimates the power of an usurper. 4. And above all, no Venezuelan could support an usurper who abuses the
[LAAMN] Capriles Attacks Venezuelan Electoral Council, Refuses to Sign Document
Capriles Attacks Venezuelan Electoral Council, Refuses to Sign Document Apr 9th 2013, by Tamara Pearson [image: The National Electoral Council declared the electoral system ironclad today (archive)] The National Electoral Council declared the electoral system ironclad today (archive) Merida, April 9th 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) Tonight rightwing candidate Henrique Capriles said that he will not sign a National Electoral Council (CNE) document to guarantee that he would recognise the results of the 14 April presidential elections. The document, requested by the government and written by the CNE, named Commitment with Democracy was signed by pro-Chavez candidate Nicolas Maduro, as well three other candidates. Candidate Reina Sequera didnt sign the document today because she wasnt in Caracas. A similar document was signed by all candidates, including Capriles, for the 7 October presidential elections in July last year. Instead, a representative for Capriles campaign, Carlos Vecchio, handed in a different documenthttp://static.eluniversal.com/2013/04/09/Micompromiso.pdf signed by Capriles, where he committed to respect the popular will but demanded that the interim president, Nicolas Maduro cease his abuse of the use of public resources to promote his candidature. In the document he also accused Maduro of intimidating public servants and taking advantage of the needs of the poor... in order to bribe them with the delivery, or not, of social missions, and in that way, obtain their votes. He called the CNE negligent and warned that we will be vigilant before...any alteration that is attempted on the electoral results. Further he suggested that the electoral power is biased towards the government. The move by Capriles follows weeks of opposition and private Venezuelan media attacks on the CNE, as well as a small protest in Caracas calling for fairness and transparency in the elections. US Assistant Secretary of State, Roberta Jackson, also said last month that it would be difficult to have open, fair and transparent elections in Venezuela. Maduro signed the CNE document while at a workers rally, saying, Im going to sign it in name of peace for the country, and respect for the people. This signature is worth my own life. Ill respect the results that the people decide on 14 April. I swear it before God, I swear it before the people, and I swear it on the memory of Hugo Chavez. The CNE completed its auditing process today, where all aspects related to the voting act were verified. Assessors from the Central University of Venezuela, technical experts from all candidates campaign teams, and the electoral mission of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) were all present. CNE president Tibisay Lucena announced that the electoral system is safe and ironclad and said the council had not found the irregularity denounced by the opposition serious, where a member of the governing United Socialist Party allegedly had the code to the electoral machines. The code is a general one, not only do the CNE technicians know it, but also over 90 contracted personnel... that is, it is not a code that implies infringement of electoral security. She also highlighted that participation in elections has grown progressively in Venezuela, which is proof of the enormous credibility of the [electoral] organism. 81% of registered voters voted last October. 46,000 voting machines are being sent to voting centres, such as schools, which as of Wednesday will be closed and protected by soldiers as part of the Republic Plan. 80,000 CNE assistants have been trained to operate the machines. -- *Source URL (retrieved on 09/04/2013 - 10:22pm):* http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/8563 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com --- Help: mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn --- Post: mailto:la...@egroups.com --- Archive1: http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn --- Archive2: http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com --- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web,
[LAAMN] Re: [Venezuela_Today] Eclectics or Dialectics? Unpacking PSL’s Defense of Racist, Collaborationist Tyrannies
Now I thought he was being too kind to the PSL which is a Stalinist degeneration of a Stalinist degeneration from the WWP which degenerated from the SWP/USA. There slide started way before WW2 and were wrong on most counts after the war. The Sam Marcy slide started in 1948 supporting the imperialist Henry Wallace for president and like the Becker Boys whose ego got in the way with a many good people in WWP, had to leave the SWP . Actually these so called left groups deserve to be called more conservatives and not revolutionary for many reasons, they have failed to learn lessons from the many world upheavals and developments ushered in even before the collapse of the Soviet Union and they have not settled accounts from their past with their wrong analysis of the development of Europe after the war, supporting the Russian invasions when they led the Warsaw pact troops into Hungary in 1956 or Czechoslovakia in 1968, the crushing of the movement and protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989 while the protesters were singing the Internationale ( they still think China is socialist), supporting sub imperialists such as Libya and Syria, supporting the most reactionary elements of Islam in Iran and Palestine, in confusing the national question, self determination and anti imperialism in its name while supporting the most brutal, un human, repressive and murderous regimes. I mean the list is endless and could go on for days. Now I have met many good comrades who belong to those organizations in my life and I won't mention them so I don't tarnish them with what I am saying. But I have been a victim of the Becker Boys Star Chamber antics before and did not find out about it till after the fact, so I may be biased but I learned and did not give up the struggle. But many like our Stanfield Smith, have a hard time telling the difference between real socialism and leftist militants and opportunist's and opportunistic demagogue's...like the Becker Boys in this case. Rojo rojito Cort On Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 6:37 PM, stansfield smith stansfieldsm...@yahoo.comwrote: ** Having seen some of Pham Binh's replies to postings, he strikes me as one of these pretty lightweight guys who sometimes thinks being a smartass passes for political depth. Maybe it is thus needless to say that he is in the orbit ISO, that is, a group that is very hostile to real revolutions, only supportive of color revolutions, so long as the color is not red. If Human Rights Watch were to set up a Marxist group, they couldn't have done a better job. *From:* Cort Greene cort.gre...@gmail.com *To:* Venezuela_Today venezuela_to...@yahoogroups.com; csny cubasolidarit...@yahoogroups.com *Sent:* Tuesday, April 9, 2013 5:46 PM *Subject:* [Venezuela_Today] Eclectics or Dialectics? Unpacking PSLs Defense of Racist, Collaborationist Tyrannies ** http://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=8293** Eclectics or Dialectics? Unpacking PSLs Defense of Racist, Collaborationist Tyrannies by PHAM BINH on APRIL 8, 2013 * [image: promo]Socialists and War: Two Opposing Trends* published by Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is as thin politically as it page-wise. Clocking in at 46 pages, most of the book consists of freely available published material: a reprinthttp://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/justifying-imperialist-interventionint.html from PSLs newspaper, a *Dissident Voice* interviewhttp://dissidentvoice.org/2012/08/libya-and-the-western-left-2/with Brian Becker who is the national director of PSLs front group ANSWER Coalition, and a historical document, the Basel Manifestohttp://www.marxists.org/history/international/social-democracy/1912/basel-manifesto.htm. The only original work is Beckers essay, Socialists and War: Two Opposing Trends, which claims that socialist debates over imperialist intervention into the Arab Spring are the modern analog to the splithttp://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/jan/x02.htm within the socialist movement over World War One with myself as Plekhanovhttp://www.marxists.org/glossary/people/p/l.htm#plekhanov and PSL as who else? the Bolsheviks. (Whether Becker gets to play Lenin and Mazda Majidi Trotsky or vice versa in their 1914-1917 reenactment is unclear.) The book is a reminder that seven dollars doesnt buy much of anything these days. Majidis article, When Justifying Imperialist Intervention Goes Wronghttp://www.pslweb.org/liberationnews/news/justifying-imperialist-interventionint.html is a Revleft http://www.revleft.com/-style response to my essay, Libya and Syria: When Anti-Imperialism Goes Wronghttp://www.thenorthstar.info/?p=1097. Majidis strawmen speak for themselves and need not be enumerated here. However, his underlying method is of interest. He begins by asserting that, All demonstrations and opposition movements [are] not progressive. Undoubtedly this is true, and Majidi cites the Nazis and the Tea
[LAAMN] 17 electrical saboteurs caught in Venezuela
http://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/04/17-electrical-saboteurs-caught-in-venezuela.html 17 electrical saboteurs caught in Venezuelahttp://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/04/17-electrical-saboteurs-caught-in-venezuela.htmlApril 10, 2013 Sabina Becker *video:* *http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embeddedv=vKWTgkW0Q24*http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embeddedv=vKWTgkW0Q24 Its literally getting down to the wire in Venezuela. Yesterday, the military, which is in charge of securing the countrys electrical plants and stations, announced a major capture:http://www.aporrea.org/actualidad/n226519.html *The chief of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEO-FANB), Major-General Wilmer Barrientos, informed on Tuesday of the detention of 17 persons linked to acts of electrical sabotage in Venezuela.* * At the moment we have 17 detainees, caught in the act of sabotaging the installations of Corpoelec in our national territory, and they will face the judicial process, said the military officer during a press conference. Barrientos said that the citizens, some of whom are said to be military lieutenants, were detained in the city of Maracay, specifically in the Paratroop Brigade, and will be subjected to investigation by Military Intelligence. Barrientos said that per instructions from president Nicolás Maduro, the distribution and transmission centres were also secured in order to take inventory of the repayments and to be able to react promptly. At the same time, Barrientos notified that a shipment of necessary electrical materials had been recovered in the customs building. We are improving, bit by bit, the response of the electrical system, he said. Barrientos emphasized that these measures have made it so that in some states, where there had been 50 critical circuits, now there are only four or six. Barrientos called on Venezuelans to be conscientious in their use of electricity, and on the owners of shopping centres to turn on their generators during hours of peak demand. * *We are still working in the electrical sector, to keep the people as calm as possible, and we will act in this sector with all the necessary force so that there will be peace throughout the Bolivarian Republic, he said.* Translation mine. So, these sabotaging military lieutenants must be who the punks of JAVU were calling members of the National Democratic Armed Forces in the protest manual I translatedhttp://www.sabinabecker.com/2013/04/terrorism-and-destabilization-in-venezuela-all-you-can-eat.html here last night. Since they are at the lowest levels of the officer corps, it is doubtful the conspiracy reaches any higher. The High Command was purged of traitors years ago, after the coup of 02 revealed to Chavecito and his government who was actually a loyal commander and who was not. Since then, any remaining bad apples have been picked off one by one, and the High Command has been clean. It is therefore highly unlikely that we will ever again see the crazy spectacle of a group of a dozen or so military officers, going before the cameras of an opposition-controlled TV station like they did in 02, announcing that they could no longer be loyal because of some spurious accusation of government forces firing on unarmed demonstrators in the street. Now we await the arrests of the Salvadoran terrorists, imported by Majunche to destabilize the country so that he can declare victory without winning a single legitimate thing. And, for that matter, the arrest of Majunche himself. Its just a matter of time [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com --- Help: mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn --- Post: mailto:la...@egroups.com --- Archive1: http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn --- Archive2: http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com --- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join
[LAAMN] Alan Woods in Caracas
http://www.marxist.com/alan-woods-in-caracas-april-2013.htm Alan Woods in Caracashttp://www.marxist.com/alan-woods-in-caracas-april-2013.htm Written by our correspondentWednesday, 10 April 2013 [image: Print]http://www.marxist.com/alan-woods-in-caracas-april-2013/print.htm[image: E-mail]http://www.marxist.com/component/option,com_mailto/link,12d2382fa1b476b1904f43e563c4855994eeebd4/tmpl,component/ In the last week of March Alan Woods, founder of the Hands off Venezuela campaign and leading figure of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) was in Venezuela. He was invited to participate in the Meeting of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of Humanity. This meeting took place at a crucial turning point for the Bolivarian Revolution. The death of Hugo Chavez, the man who had stood at the helm of the Revolution for over 14 years, was a tremendous blow. Proving the false propaganda about the dictator Chavez wrong, millions of people poured onto the streets and squares in a spontaneous expression of deep-seated grief. [image: Alan Woods on VTV]http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/venezuela/alan-woods-vtv.jpegDuring his trip Alan Woods appeared on the main Bolivarian TV channel VTVOn the day of the funeral, between three and four million people were on the streets of Caracas. Many were sobbing uncontrollably. But the most remarkable thing was not so much this outpouring of sorrow, but the mood of absolute determination to continue fighting. The mood of the masses is not one of depression. It has become harder, more determined, more radical. As Karl Marx explained, *the Revolution sometimes needs the whip of the Counterrevolution*. At the meeting there were several hundred people from different countries, all of them sympathetic to the Bolivarian Revolution. But as usual they were a very heterogeneous bunch. This was reflected in the different commissions. Alan attended the one on the future of socialism in the 21st century. The discussion was introduced by Carlos Fernandez Liria, a well-known left wing professor of Philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid. Carlos stressed the importance of Marxism, which, as he correctly pointed out, had not changed in its fundamentals since the days of Marx. Alan spoke after him. In his speech, which, like all the other, was limited to five minutes, he criticized the idea that there was a 21st century socialism that was somehow different to Marxism: You speak of 21st century socialism. But to this day nobody has ever been able to tell me what that is. It is an empty bottle that can be filled with any content you wish. He then went on to ask a question: Does anyone here believe that it is possible to speak of socialism in Venezuela as long as the economic power of the oligarchy remains in existence? In order to have socialism it is necessary first to expropriate the land, the banks and the big monopolies under the democratic control of the working class. That seemed to annoy one or two people present. Juan Carlos Monedero (also of the Complutense University of Madrid, said: We dont know what 21st century socialism is. It is just as well we do not know what it is. Everybody can contribute, and in the end we will have a beautiful mosaic, he asserted. In general, all the interventions were extremely vague, abstract and often completely empty of any content. In short, it resembled a typical university seminar. But what else can one expect of intellectuals? The one note of sanity was introduced by comrade Euler Calzadilla of the CMI (IMT), a professional revolutionary from a poor working class family. [image: imt congress 2010 12]http://www.marxist.com/images/stories/imt/imt_congress_2010_12.jpgEuler CalzadillaEuler sharply criticised the idea that the working class was not conscious enough to bring about socialism, an idea all too common in pretentious intellectual and reformist circles. Defending the idea of workers control, he challenged those present to come with him to one of the occupied factories and see for themselves what the workers were capable of. Significantly, this was the only intervention that got general applause. Probably it gave some of those present a guilty conscience. The next morning comrade Alan demanded, and got, the right to reply to those who had criticised him the previous day. He mainly directed his remarks to Juan Carlos Monedero, whose arguments he systematically demolished: What you say is not coherent. It is not even consistent with everyday experience. Just imagine that you go to the dentist with a toothache, and the dentist says: I have never studied dentistry and know nothing about it, but open your mouth and I will give it a try. A fine mosaic he would make of your teeth! What would you do in such circumstances? You would run away as fast as your legs would carry you! The same is true of every aspect of life. We expect some level of knowledge and competence. Every aspect, it seems, except for
[LAAMN] 25th anniversary subscription drive for Turning the Tide from ARA-LA
TURNING THE TIDE: Journal of Anti-Racist Action, Research Education needs 250 new and renewed subscriptions! Postal rates and printing costs are up again. Dozens of new prisoners ask to get free subs every month. Over 1500 copies of each edition are sent free to prisoners. Friends of ARA-LA/PART are in prison or facing prosecution for anti-racist, anti-fascist political activity. We had to switch to quarterly publication because of a lack of sufficient funds and staffing. We are asking prison subscribers to send us stamps. What can you do? We rely entirely on subscriptions and reader donations to publish. We've been coming out for 25 years, distributing thousands of copies to prisoners, anti-racists and other concerned people without partisan subsidy, government funds or corporate grants. We depend entirely on you, the reader, to keep printing hard-hitting anti-racist, anti-colonialist analysis. If you really like Turning the Tide Don't delay -- Subscribe today: $16 individual/$26 institutional or international annual subscription (for 4 quarterly issues) and if this subscription drive is successful we'll restore bi-monthly publication, and you'll get 6 issues for the price of 4. Checks payable to Anti-Racist Action, please! Can't process checks to Turning the Tide Fill out and send to: Anti-Racist Action, PO Box 1055, Culver City CA 90232 or electronically via paypal to antiracistaction...@yahoo.com Name: ___ Address: City: State: Zip: _ Email: Phone: ___ Special Offer for the 25th Anniversary Fund-raiser: A second subscription for a friend, only $15: Name: _ Address: __ City: St: _ Zip: _ Email: __ Phone: Third and additional gift subscriptions, add $12.50 each, use other side for contact information for 4th: Name: _ Address: __ City: St: _ Zip: _ Email: __ Phone: [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com --- Help: mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn --- Post: mailto:la...@egroups.com --- Archive1: http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn --- Archive2: http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com --- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[LAAMN] Margaret Thatcher and misapplied death etiquette
Margaret Thatcher and misapplied death etiquette The dictate that one 'not speak ill of the dead' is (at best) appropriate for private individuals, not influential public figures * * * Glenn Greenwald * guardian.co.uk, Monday 8 April 2013 10.41 EDT Margaret Thatcher Photograph: Don Mcphee News of Margaret Thatcher's death this morning instantly and predictably gave rise to righteous sermons on the evils of speaking ill of her. British Labour MP Tom Watson decreed: I hope that people on the left of politics respect a family in grief today. Following in the footsteps of Santa Claus, Steve Hynd quickly compiled a list of all the naughty boys and girls on the left who dared to express criticisms of the dearly departed Prime Minister, warning that he will continue to add to this list throughout the day. Former Tory MP Louise Mensch, with no apparent sense of irony, invoked precepts of propriety to announce: Pygmies of the left so predictably embarrassing yourselves, know this: not a one of your leaders will ever be globally mourned like her. This demand for respectful silence in the wake of a public figure's death is not just misguided but dangerous. That one should not speak ill of the dead is arguably appropriate when a private person dies, but it is wildly inappropriate for the death of a controversial public figure, particularly one who wielded significant influence and political power. Respecting the grief of Thatcher's family members is appropriate if one is friends with them or attends a wake they organize, but the protocols are fundamentally different when it comes to public discourse about the person's life and political acts. I made this argument at length last year when Christopher Hitchens died and a speak-no-ill rule about him was instantly imposed (a rule he, more than anyone, viciously violated), and I won't repeat that argument today; those interested can read my reasoning here. But the key point is this: those who admire the deceased public figure (and their politics) aren't silent at all. They are aggressively exploiting the emotions generated by the person's death to create hagiography. Typifying these highly dubious claims about Thatcher was this (appropriately diplomatic) statement from President Obama: The world has lost one of the great champions of freedom and liberty, and America has lost a true friend. Those gushing depictions can be quite consequential, as it was for the week-long tidal wave of unbroken reverence that was heaped on Ronald Reagan upon his death, an episode that to this day shapes how Americans view him and the political ideas he symbolized. Demanding that no criticisms be voiced to counter that hagiography is to enable false history and a propagandistic whitewashing of bad acts, distortions that become quickly ossified and then endure by virtue of no opposition and the powerful emotions created by death. When a political leader dies, it is irresponsible in the extreme to demand that only praise be permitted but not criticisms. Whatever else may be true of her, Thatcher engaged in incredibly consequential acts that affected millions of people around the world. She played a key role not only in bringing about the first Gulf War but also using her influence to publicly advocate for the 2003 attack on Iraq. She denounced Nelson Mandela and his ANC as terrorists, something even David Cameron ultimately admitted was wrong. She was a steadfast friend to brutal tyrants such as Augusto Pinochet, Saddam Hussein and Indonesian dictator General Suharto (One of our very best and most valuable friends). And as my Guardian colleague Seumas Milne detailed last year, across Britain Thatcher is still hated for the damage she inflicted – and for her political legacy of rampant inequality and greed, privatisation and social breakdown. To demand that all of that be ignored in the face of one-sided requiems to her nobility and greatness is a bit bullying and tyrannical, not to mention warped. As David Wearing put it this morning in satirizing these speak-no-ill-of-the-deceased moralists: People praising Thatcher's legacy should show some respect for her victims. Tasteless. Tellingly, few people have trouble understanding the need for balanced commentary when the political leaders disliked by the west pass away. Here, for instance, was what the Guardian reported upon the death last month of Hugo Chavez: To the millions who detested him as a thug and charlatan, it will be occasion to bid, vocally or discreetly, good riddance. Nobody, at least that I know of, objected to that observation on the ground that it was disrespectful to the ability of the Chavez family to mourn in peace. Any such objections would have been invalid. It was perfectly justified to note that, particularly as the Guardian also explained that to the millions who revered him – a third of the country, according to some
[LAAMN] OC Human Relations Had Anaheim Police Chief Speak At Home Of Wealthy Laguna Beach Donor
From The Anaheim Investigator Partners In Power: Kennedy Had Anaheim Police Chief Speak At Home Of Wealthy Laguna Beach Donor By DUANE ROBERTS Editor Publisher In an eye-opening email the Anaheim Investigator has obtained from the City of Anaheim through a recent California Public Records Act request, Rusty Kennedy, Executive Director of OC Human Relations, had Anaheim Police Chief John Welter attend a “special reception” in Laguna Beach last November to talk about their “partnership” in pacifying angry Anna Drive and Ponderosa Park residents in the aftermath of several fatal officer-involved shootings. Although it is not unusual for Chief Welter to be invited to speak at different events outside of the city, further research has revealed this “special reception,” organized under the auspices of OC Human Relations Community Partners, an elite group of donors who contribute $1,000 or more each year to OC Human Relations, was held at the residence of a multi-millionaire who funnels tens of thousands of dollars each year into Kennedy’s non-profit. Click on the following link for more information: http://anaheiminvestigator.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/partners-in-power-kennedy-had-anaheim-police-chief-speak-at-home-of-wealthy-laguna-beach-donor-2/ --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com --- Help: mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn --- Post: mailto:la...@egroups.com --- Archive1: http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn --- Archive2: http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com --- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[LAAMN] Videos, Solidarity Events Venezuelan Government Releases “Evidence” that Opposition is Planning to not Recognise Election Results
[image: Hands Off Venezuela]*Hands Off Venezuela* @*HOVcampaign*https://twitter.com/HOVcampaign good London meeting watched excellent Portraits of Struggle (http:// vimeo.com/48770391 http://t.co/odVIL19J0r) and had a discussion about the election *Millones dijiste!!!. Sí, somos MILLONES!!!. En la sociedad fascista que cabrones como tú (@YouTube https://twitter.com/YouTube - http:// youtu.be/gO0ag2tpRcc?a http://t.co/yTzTMwT7FS)* [image: InsidetheRev Film]*InsidetheRev Film* @*VenRevFilm*https://twitter.com/VenRevFilm .@*OccupiedTimes* https://twitter.com/OccupiedTimes our #*documentary*https://twitter.com/search?q=%23documentarysrc=hashcan now be viewed online 4 free. pls spread the word! gracias http://bit.ly/ZnL4cT http://t.co/FPc1FQYD2b #*chavez*https://twitter.com/search?q=%23chavezsrc=hash #*venezuela* https://twitter.com/search?q=%23venezuelasrc=hash *12 AVRIL 2013: MANIFESTONS POUR LAUTODÉTERMINATION DU VENEZUELA À MONTRÉAL ET À OTTAWA! http://www.sbqc.org/wp/manifestons -pour-lautodetermination-du-venezuela/ http://t.co/fX72DL8eTF* *Brasil Apil 12th - Debate sobre Venezuela Tirem as Mãos da Venezuela http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=634637473228622 http://t.co/yEUDcsfpTP * [image: FNRP - Honduras]*FNRP - Honduras* @*FNRP_hn*https://twitter.com/FNRP_hn Caravana este 14Abril en apoyo al Candidato de la Revolución Bolivariana @* NicolasMaduro* https://twitter.com/NicolasMaduro! Partiremos de la #*UPNFM * https://twitter.com/search?q=%23UPNFMsrc=hash a las 5pm #* VenezuelaDecide* https://twitter.com/search?q=%23VenezuelaDecidesrc=hash [image: Hands Off Venezuela]*Hands Off Venezuela* @*HOVcampaign*https://twitter.com/HOVcampaign 1h https://twitter.com/HOVcampaign/status/322127335442755584 *April 11, anniversary of 2002 coup against Venezuelan revolution - never forgive, never forget - every 11 has its 13 (masses defeated it)* *April 11 Canada and the US say No U.S. Intervention in Venezuela Elections http://bolivariannyc.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/apr il-11-a-national-day-of-action-to-support-the-bolivarian-revolution-4/ http://t.co/XzrBEdA8AuFB; https://www.facebook.com/events/172119516270450/ https://t.co/NcShInzQpV * * * *11A LA, SF, Houston, Washington DC, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Denver, TO, Van, Olympia Vzla solidarity **http:// bolivariannyc.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/apr il-11-a-national-day-of-action-to-support-the-bolivarian-revolution-4/** * http://t.co/XzrBEdA8Au Venezuelan Government Releases Evidence that Opposition is Planning to not Recognise Election Results Apr 10th 2013, by Tamara Pearson [image: Cabello presenting the evidence on public television this morning (VTV)] Cabello presenting the evidence on public television this morning (VTV) Merida, April 10th 2013 (Venezuelanalysis.com) This morning United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) leader Diosdado Cabello presented evidence, including phone recordings, documents, and emails, allegedly proving that the opposition has plans to not recognise the 14 April presidential election results. Cabello played an audio recording of a phone conversation to the public in which Joao Nunes, Capriles bodyguard and driver, said that Capriles wont recognise Sundays results if he loses. In the recorded conversation, which lasts just over a minute, Nunes talks with another person, Michell, who says Its looking to be full on, man. Nunes responds, Man, theyre going to rob it from them in the streets.... Michell then says, Looking at it from here, here what they are saying is that hes not going to recognise [the elections] if he loses... theres going to be problems, full on problems. Cabello also showed an email allegedly sent from Amando Briquet, of Capriles campaign team, to Guillermo Salas, member of the organisation Esdata. Esdata http://esdata.info/ has reported on Venezuelas electoral process since Chavez was elected in 1998, and claims there are statistical irregularities by the National Electoral Council (CNE) which violate the right to elect. In the alleged email, dated 6 April this year, Briquet wrote, ...we need everything set out in Washington for checking over by the [Capriles campaign]. It's necessary that all documentation is presented internationally if we decide to take the road of not recognizing the results. Cabello said opposition umbrella group MUDs secretary, Ramon Aveledo, was involved and that he had requested documentation from Salas in order to be able to support their decision not to recognise the results. Further, Cabello denounced an alleged meeting between the head of private, opposition supporting newspaper, El Nacional, Miguel Otero, with Capriles and Briquet. Cabello accused the three men of meeting in order to discuss not recognising the elections. Finally, Cabello said an organisation called Patriotic Board (Junta Patrotica), which includes Guillermo Salas, signed a document which they sent on 7 April to Vicente Diaz.
[LAAMN] Fw: Fired for using Facebook?
You've got legal rights at work, but they're in danger. You’ve got the right to fight for fair wages and to join a union. You’ve got the right to discuss workplace conditions without fear of retribution on Facebook, over Twitter or using other online forums. You’ve got the right to get your job back if you are unlawfully fired. But those rights, already under attack, will disappear entirely if radicals in Congress have their way. This week the House of Representatives will vote on HR 1120, a bill that will prevent the National Labor Relations Board from enforcing labor laws. It’s an unprecedented threat to your rights on the job. Speak up to protect your ability to stand up for yourself at work -- tell your Representative to vote against HR 1120. It’s hard to imagine – Congress ordering a federal agency to stop enforcing the law. This bill is part of a systematic attack on working people by corporations and the politicians who carry out the corporate agenda. Barriers to voting. Silent filibusters to prevent bills from passing even when they have majority support. And now this – a bill that would roll back the clock, allowing employers to ignore labor law and collective bargaining agreements and leaving workers with no way to fight back against injustices at work. This bill is so extreme that even some members of Congress who normally vote with the Republican majority against workers are considering voting against it. In order to win, we need for you to contact your member of Congress today to say that we’ve had enough of these attacks. Speak out against HR 1120 now: http://action.cwa-union.org/c/1372/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6137 In Unity, Beth Allen Online Communications Director p.s. We need activists like you who understand what is at stake to get their friends involved. After you take action, help spread the word by forwarding this e-mail to your friends. A Project of Communications Workers of America 501 Third Street NW Washington, DC 20001 www.cwa-union.org Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC. All Rights Reserved. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com --- Help: mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn --- Post: mailto:la...@egroups.com --- Archive1: http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn --- Archive2: http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com --- Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[LAAMN] CBS: 3rd World Surrogate Mothers
April 10, 2013 7:21 PM Baby boom: Indian women giving birth to U.S. babies By Holly Williamshttp://www.cbsnews.com/2102-18563_162-57578967.html?contributor=10471415 (CBS News) ANAND, India -- A lot of businesses go to India for inexpensive labor and it turns out American couples are doing the same. One village has become a center for cut-rate surrogacy, offering young women who will be carrying babies to term. Dana and Sumanth Chandra with baby Ethan. / CBS News For some couples surrogacy is their only chance to create a child. Each year hundreds of Americans go to India for the service. Dana and Sumanth Chandra have been trying to have a baby ever since they married 14 years ago in Chicago. They believe their newborn son Ethan is a miracle -- because doctors in the United States told Dana she'd never have a child. I could just spend my entire life just standing right here, she says while looking at her baby son. An Indian surrogate at a clinic in Anand, India. / CBS News The couple finally realized their dream of starting a family by traveling 8000 miles to India -- the country where Sumanth grew up. Ethan was born to a surrogate mother at a clinic in the dusty town of Anand -- a hub in India's multimillion dollar surrogacy industry. An embryo created from the Chandra's own sperm and egg was implanted in an Indian woman -- who was paid to carry their child. Their doctor -- Nayana Patel -- has helped more than 200 American couples have a baby. When you see a childless couple you understand how desperate, how frustrated they are. I mean, they are not living a life -- they are just like vegetables, said Dr. Patel. India's booming surrogacy business is unregulated. A mistake in another clinic left one couple with a baby that wasn't theirs. But surrogacy in India is cheap. At around $25,000 it is less than a quarter of what parents would pay in the U.S. The surrogates themselves earn just $8000. Dr. Nayana Patel, Anand, India. / CBS News At Dr. Patel's clinic it's compulsory for them to live in a hostel -- so that their pregnancies can be monitored. It's overcrowded -- and they're cut off from their families. One surrogate mother, Meena Parmar, used to work as a housemaid making $30 a month. She's pregnant with a baby for an American couple and said the money she earns will pay for her own son's education. The desperation of many poor surrogate mothers makes them vulnerable. Surrogate Meena Parmar is pregnant with a baby for an American couple. / CBS News But are the surrogates protected legally? What are their rights? I would say that they have the right to terminate the pregnancy at any stage of pregnancy if they are not comfortable but in that case they'll have to pay the couple whatever money they have spent so far, said Dr Patel. Dana and Sumanth Chandra worried about the unequal relationship with their surrogate. My biggest concern was I didn't want to take advantage of a woman who was desperately in need of money, physically not capable of doing this, said Dana. We kind of struggle with a lot of these kind of issues ourselves, kind of thinking are we taking advantage? Because obviously, we did it here because of financial reasons. Those doubts haven't stopped hundreds of couples coming to India for affordable surrogacy. Dr. Patel is so busy she's now building a new private hospital. Outsourced: Wombs-For-Rent in Indiahhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/12/31/health/main3658750.shtml/ Surrogacy scandal raises regulation questionshttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/11/ap/business/main20091390.shtml/ Surrogates: Redefining motherhoodhttp://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/25/sunday/main4751784.shtml/ But in a country of dire poverty, some worry that India's surrogate mothers are ripe for exploitation. The doctors CBS News spoke to all said this is a win-win arrangement: The couple gets a baby, the surrogate mother gets a life-changing amount of money. And often it does seem to work out just like that. But the problem is that many of the surrogate mothers are desperately poor. Some of them are even illiterate. They've had no education and so there's a risk that some clinics could abuse that in this very lucrative industry. © 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57578967/baby-boom-indian-women-giving-birth-to-u.s-babies/ -- JAI RAC-LA [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com --- Digest: mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com
[LAAMN] On Margaret Thatcher's Passing
My sentiments exactly... Romi/Blue On Margaret Thatcher’s Passing by John Andrews / April 10th, 2013 I’m just a tiny, tiny bit sad today. So, Thatcher’s dead. I live in the town where she was born and raised. There are inevitably some who are in deep mourning today, and a few little bunches of flowers have appeared outside the corner shop that was her first family home. On the other hand, there’s also quite a bit of celebrating, and I was speaking to a woman today who said she just hopes that Cameron and Osborne and all the rest of them do the decent thing and jump onto her funeral pyre. Given the fact that her home town, once well-known for its heavy industry, is now largely silent because of Thatcher’s policies, you can see her point. For myself, I must confess that a very tiny part of me is sad. Whilst she still breathed there was a miniscule theoretical possibility that she could be held to account for the vast crimes against humanity, in general, and the British people, in particular, that were committed by her government. I’m truly sad that even that miniscule theoretical possibility has been permanently snuffed out. Three years into her reign a poll published in the Times revealed that she was the most unpopular British prime minister in history. And then things got worse. She began by causing the deaths of a thousand people over a clump of wind-blown rocks 8,000 miles away from Britain, supposedly to defend the right of 2,000 people to call themselves British. It would have been cheaper for this supposed champion of democracy and devotee of Chicago-school economics to pay for those people to move lock, stock and barrel to the UK, accommodate them and give them all Income Support for the rest of their lives, than to wage a war and support a military garrison on the Malvinas to the end of time. But that little fact is always conveniently overlooked. Thatcher’s foreign policies had one striking feature in common: her government’s support of murderous dictatorships was total; and the line-up of tyrants who enjoyed the backing of her government is quite impressive. There was Pol Pot, for example, and the unspeakable Suharto in Indonesia. Everyone knows about the blood-soaked Pinochet whose evasion from justice was actively assisted by Thatcher’s government. Less well known about are the assortment of Middle-Eastern despots her government aided; but the daddy of them all, the most ruthless oppressor on the face of the Earth, the US government, was always Thatcher’s favourite; and she made significant contributions to its goal of world domination. It’s impossible to know how many tens, if not hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths were aided and abetted by Thatcher’s government. Impressive though her foreign policies obviously were, they pale to insignificance compared with the treacherous actions of her government against the British people. Her mission from the outset was to kill-off the trade union movement which, for all its imperfections, was the only real champion the ordinary Briton had. Once that was done it was game over, lambs fattened and ready for slaughter. She proceeded to kill-off the main source of Britain’s wealth, our manufacturing base; and then rapidly sold off every bit of family silver she could get her hands on. In quick succession Britain’s essential publicly owned utilities were flogged at fire-sale prices: transport, water, electricity, communications, gas… all went under the hammer. Millions of jobs were trashed or scrapped altogether, and then she turned her attention to the last remaining protection the British people had: public services. Why did she do all this? Just so a tiny, tiny handful of obscenely wealthy people could become even more obscenely wealthy. What a great legacy. You can see why people want to put up statues to her. The economic wasteland that Britain is today is not all Thatcher’s fault: others followed her who could have put things right, but didn’t. Nevertheless, it was Thatcher who started the ball rolling. There was never any real chance that Thatcher would have to account for her crimes, but I am truly sad that the miniscule theoretical possibility that she could have been brought to justice is now gone forever. John Andrews is a writer whose latest book is The People's Constitution. He can be contacted through his website. Read other articles by John. http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/04/on-margaret-thatchers-passing/#more-48371 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --- Unsubscribe: mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com --- Subscribe: mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com
